Signal system for hospitals



mi. H. MVTE SEGNAL SYSTEM FOR HGSPTALS Filed Dec. 2, 1929 Patented Jan. 19, 1932 UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. WAITE, OF LYN BROOK,

COMPANY, IN C., OF JAMAICA, DELAWARE `PATENT OFFICE SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR HOSPITALS Application filed December 2, 1929. Serial No. 411,172.

This invention relates to telephonic signalling systems and has particular reference to a system having one or more master stations and a plurality of sub-stations, the sub-stations being adapted to call the master station by signalling, andthe master station completing the talking circuit for oral communication, this system being particularly arranged for hospitals in such a way that the master station is located in the nurses oiice, and the sub-stations are located in the various patients7 rooms.

Heretofore, hospitals have been equipped with visual and audible signalling systems whereby the patient, upon pressing a button or other signalling device, causes the illumination of a lamp at some convenient point and/or the sounding of an audible signal in the nurses office or the like. The nurse, upon hearing and/or seeing the signal, went to the .patients room to ascertain the patients wishes, and then went to fulfill them from materials or information readily obtainable in the nurses oliice or in close proximity thereto. This required at least one unnecessary trip which could be avoided had it been possible for the patient to communicate directly with the nurse in her oice.

Tt is the principal object of this invention to provide a telephonie signalling system by means of which the patient may signal to the Anurses otlice by operating a locking switch,

thereby initiating a telephonie circuit, which is completed by the nurse in the office, so that oral communication by telephone may be carried on to ascertain the patients wishes. In this way questions may be answered and instructions given by the nurse without requiring a trip to the patients room, and, if the patient requires something, the nurse need not go to the patients room to ascertain what is desired and then make the return trip to bring the desired articles, whereby the first trip to ascertain the patients requirements is eliminated. D

Another object of this invention is to provide a system of the type described in which,y

the apparatus is so arranged as to have the advantage of personal Contact between the patient and the nurse, especially in that soft speaking instruments are provided, whereby the desired quiet and minimum of activity are obtained, and to provide a signal operable by the patient which remains in action until the nurse responds to the signal, whereby the unnecessary repetition of signals and eort on the part of the patient are eliminated.

These and other objects are obtained in a preferred embodiment of this invention which includes a sub-station in each of the various patients rooms, these sub-stations each having a signal button within convenient reach of the patient, the initial operation of which lights a door lamp above the patients door and sounds an audible signal in the nurses oiice. After the patient releases the button, the audible signal in the nurses office is silenced, but the door lamp remains illuminated until the button is reset after the patients needs have been fulfilled1 further operation of the button serving to again operate the audible signal in the nurses oiiice, but not in any way disturbing the visual signal over the patients door.

In addition to operating an'audible signal and the visual signal over the patients door, operation of the patients button sets a visual signal in the master station in the nurses oiiice, this visual signal being in the form of a shutter annunciator, of which one is provided for each sub-station, whereby the nurse, by glancing at the instrument, will be advised which patient is calling. By throwing a switch corresponding to the patients line as identified by the annunciatorand lifting the receiver, the nurse may speak into a transmitter so that her speech is heard by the calling patient by means of a loud speaker arranged in a portable stand placed adjacent the patients bed. This portable stand is also equipped with a transmitter into which the patient may speak in response to the nurses inquiry and carry on a conversation with the nurse without effort or change in position. In the hospital ward the ortable sub-station instruments are moved a jacent the occupied beds and the signal lamps are placed over the instruments so as to be readily observable by a nurse.

By means of this system a nurse can exercise aural supervision of each of the rooms without making the rounds, merely by 0perating the master station keys corresponding to the several patients rooms and listening to the patients one by one. Thus, more frequent supervision is possible since by means of this system much less time is occupied and fewer personal supervisions are necessary.

For a better undertanding of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a schematic electrical diagram of the hospital telephone system of this invention; and

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a modified form of reset circuit.

In these drawings, letters W, X, Y and Z designate the sub-stations in the various patients rooms in the hospital, or the several beds in a Ward which is equipped with the sub-stations mentioned. Letter M desig nates the master station in the nurses office to which the several sub-stations W, X, Y and Z are connected.

The master station M in the nurses ofiice is equipped with a plurality of keys 1, 2, 3 and 4, which are respectively individual to the sub-.stations W, X, Y and Z in the several patients rooms. These keys 1 to 4, inclusive, are adapted to close their corresponding contacts when the nurse in her oliice manipulates them in response to a signal received from the corresponding sub-stations. In addition to these keys the master station has, in the best practical construction, corresponding visual signals 5, 6, 7 and 8 which also act as relays, and an audible signal 9, in the form of a make and break buzzer of the usual commercial type. The master station M also has a sensitive transmitter 10, and an ordinary watch case telephone receiver 11. The talking battery 12 and the ringing battery 13 may be provided in the master station installation or at some remote point.

The sub-stations NV, X, Y and Z in the sev eral patients rooms include respective double signal keys 14, 15, 16 and 17, respective loud speakers 18, 19, 20 and 21, respective microphone transmitters 22, 23, 24 and 25, and respective signal lamps 26, 27, 28 and 29, these signal lamps being preferably located over the door of the ward or patient7s room to which they correspond so as to be visible from any point in the corridor in 4Wh'ich the particular patients room is located, and/or on the instrument and/or over the patients bed in a ward. In addition to these visual signals, master pilot lamps 31 and 31 are preferably located at the heads or intersections of the corridors, so that from a distance the nurse who is away from her ofce may be advised that a patient whose room is located in a particular corridor is signalling.

More specifically, the patients substation, say station X, includes simply the signal button 15, loud speaker 19, and transmitter or microphone 23, these instruments being preferably mounted compactly within a small cabinet adapted to be placed upon the patients night table or in a specially constructed table. The signal button 15 may also be a separate unit on a cable Within convenient reach of the patient, while the transmitter and receiver may be arranged in a cabinet in the manner described. The lamp 27 corresponding to patients substation X is preferably placed over the patients door so as to be visible from the corridor. However, when a ward is equipped with the present system,

the lamp 27 may be placed over the bed of the patient having the sub-station equipment X, or the lamp 27 may be placed on the in'stru ment stand so that the whole forms a portable sub-station, the lamp 27 in either case being visible to a nurse from any part of the ward.

Similarly, the master station equipment INI may be mounted in a cabinet iitted with the usual manual switches 0r jacks corresponding to keys 1, 2, 3 and 4, -the transmitter 10, the watch case telephone receiver 11 hung upon switch hook 30 extending through the' wall of the cabinet, a switch 9 for disconnecting the buzzer 9, and the annunciator relays 5, 6, 7 and 8 with their corresponding flags or shutters 32 for identifying the calling sub-station, as described in Patent No.

1,551,722, issued September 1, 1925 to F.

II. N. VVohlers. rl`he pilot lamps 31 are preferably placed at the heads or intersections of corridors to advise an absent nurse from a distance that a patient is calling. These pilot lamps may be placed at any central point other than those mentioned, such as over the door of the nurses oiiice or the like.

Considering the electrical circuits, it will be seen that the second contacts 35 of the patients signal buttons 14, 15, 16 and 17 are i connected by the common wire 34 to the common terminal of batteries 12 and 13, and that the top contacts 33 are connected by wire 36 to the one terminal of each of the loud speakers 18, 19, 2O and 21, the respective microphone transmitters 22, 23, 24 and 25, and the respective door lamps 26, 27, 28 and 29. The other terminalsiof the microphone transmitters 22, 23, 24 and 25 are respectively connected by wires 37, 38, 39 and 40 to the respective normally open contacts 41, 42, 43 and 44 of the respective keys 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the remote master station M in the nurses ofiice.

The normally open key contacts 41, 42, 43 and 44 are adapted to engage respective contacts 45, 46, 47 and 48, connected by common wire 49 to the switch hook upon which the watch case telephone receiver 11 of the master station is suspended. The telephone receiver hook, when down, provides a second break in the talking circuit, which is closed when the receiver 11 is removed, allowing the hook to engage fixed contact 50 which, through resistance 51, receiver 11 and wire 52, is connected to the opposite pole of talking battery 12.

It will be seen that whenl any one of the keys at the master station M is operated to close any one of the sets of contacts 41-45, 42`46, 4347, or 44-48, and the receiver 11 is removed-from its hook,-a listening circuit is vcompleted through master station receiver 11 and any one of the patients sub-station transmitters 22, 23, 24 or 25, thus allowing master-station M to listen to the patients room, although no lcomplete talking circuit is completed unless initiated by the patients button.

The master station transmitter 10 is connected at one terminalbv wire 52 and 53 to one -pole of taking battery 12 and at the other terminal to the common wire 54 to which the iixed contacts 55, 56, 57 and 58 of respective master station keys 1, 2, 3-and 4 are connected. Corresponding to. but normally disengaged from, fixed contacts 55, 56, 57 and 58 are the respective contact springs 59, 60, 61 and 62, which are respectively connected by wires 63, 64, 65 and 66 to the respective loud speakers 18, 19,20 and 21 of the patients sub-stations W, X, Y, and Z.. It will be seen that when any one of the master station keys 1, 2, 3, or 4 'is manipulated after a patients contacts 33-35 have been closed in the manner described, closure of any one 'of the `sets of contacts -59, 56-60, 57-61, or 5862l completes the talking cir-cuit through the master station transmit-ter 10 and the corresponding one of the patients sub-station loud speakers 18, 19, 20 or 21.

Having describedthe telephone circuits, the signalling circuits will now be considered. The aforementioned second contacts 35 of the patients signal buttons 14, 15, 16

and 17 are adapted to be engaged by the respective top contacts 33 when the corresponding buttons'are pressed. Considering that the patient in room X has pressed button 15, top contact 33 engages second contact 35 to complete a circuit from the common pole of batteries l12 and 13, wire 34, second Contact 35, top contact 33, wire 36, wire 67, corresponding door lamp 27 common wire 68 to which the other door lamps 26, 28 and 29 are also connected, to the opposite pole of signal battery 13, thus illuminating lamp 27 over the signalling patients room X. Included in this circuit are the annunciator relays 5, 6, 7 and 8 at the master station M and the master pilot lamps 31. This auxiliary circuit may be traced from signal battery 13, wire 68, wire 69, common wire 70` the windings 71, 72, 73 and '7'4 of respective annunciators 5, 6,7 and 8 connected to common wire 70, respective xed contacts 75, 76, 77 and 78 which are normally engaged by lrespective Contact springs 59, 60, 61 and 62, respective wires 63, 64, and 66, respective patients sub-station loud speakers 18, 19, 2O and 21,'

top push button contacts 33, second push button contacts 35 and wire 34 to the common terminal of batteries 12 and 13.

Inasmuch as it was assumed above that the patient at sub-station X pressed the button 15, it will be seen from the auxiliary circuit just traced that relay winding 72 is energized. Relay winding 72 attracts its armature 80 to raise flag or shutter 32 to indicate that patient Xis calling. When the other relay windings 71, 73 and 74 are energized, their corresponding armatures 79,

81 and 82 are attracted to displaythe flags 32. Adjacent relay armaturesl 79, 80, 81 and 82, but normally out of contact therewith are'f respective fixed contacts 83, 84, 85 and 86 connected to common wire 87 which leads to master pilot lamps 31 and to the common terminal of batteries 12 and 13. Thus master pilot lamps 31 are operated by the closure the effect of closing two, switches, the` first'` switch comprising the top contact 33 and-- the second contact 35. and the second switcli comprising the second contact 35 and bottom Contact 90, second or middle contact 35 serving as the common pole for both switches as it is directly connected to battery by Wire A34. Again beginning with sub-station X,

after the button 15 has been pressed, the circuit completed by second contact 35 and bottom Contact 90 may be traced from signalbattery 13, Wire 34, second contact spring 35, bottom contact spring 90, wire 89, buzzer disconnect switch 9` buzzer 9 and wire 69 to the opposite pole of signal battery 13. This energizes the buzzer 9, but the buzzer 9 is deenergizable at the master station by opening switch 9.

After a patient has pressed a button, say button 15, a spring latch 91 holdsy top contact spring 33 in engagement with second.`

Contact spring 35, this latch 91 having a pawl 92 under which the end of the top contact spring catches. Thus the door lamp 27 remains illuminated and the relay annunciator remains locked to display its flag or shutter 32, thereby identifying in the nurses otiice the particular patient Who is calling or has called. These signals remain until reset by the nurse Who responds to the patients call by eventually going to the patients room. This resetting is done by pressing the tip 93 of the latch 91 outwardly to release the end of top contact spring 33 from the latch pawl 92, whereupon the top contact spring 33 breaks contact with the second contact spring 35 and the door lamp 27 is extinguished, and the annunciator 6 is deenergized to drop its flag 32 and break contact between armature 80 and contact 84, which extinguishes master pilot lamps 31. Before resetting in the manner described further pressure upon button 15 will have the effect of sounding the buzzer, because :second contact 35 is then brought into engagement with bottom contact 90, but the door lamp 27, master pilot lamp 31, and annunciator 32 signals are not disturbed until reset in the manner described. Thus the patient may give repeated audible signals, but the visual signals 27, -31 and 32 remain set until the patients call is answered.

In Fig. 2 there is illustrated a modified or auxiliary resetting device operable electrically from the nurses oiiice as well as mechanically in the patients room. As

shown in Fig. 1,- the latch 91v catches the end,

i of top contact spring 33 after the button 15 has been pressed to hold contact springs 33 and 35 in engagement. The latch 91 is fitted with an armature 94 which cooperates with the electromagnet 95 in circuit with a battery 96 and a spring switch 97, this switch being located at the'master station M. switch 97 may be individual to.eaCh of the keys 1, 2, 3 or 4, so that any one of the corresponding patients signal buttons 14, 15, 16 or 17 may be reset after the nurse has responded telephonically to the patients call, or a single separate switch 97 at the master station may be employed to reset all of the patients signal buttons. It will be seen that this electromagnetic reset arrangement will not 1nterfere with room, but is especially valuable when the nurse does not go to the patients room, but responds telephonically to the patients call. There are many instances when it is not necessary for the nurse to go to the patient, but it is preferred that the patient not be allowed to reset, so that the nurse must respond in any event. The signal battery 13 may also be used instead of the additional battery 96.

f A Although the operation of the telephonie signal system of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description, the operation of the system will be briefly described in the order in which the various phases of action take place. Assuming as before that patient X presses button 15 to call the nurse at master station M, top contact spring 33 engages second contact spring 35, and second contact spring 35 engages bottom contact spring 90. The engagement of contacts 33 and 35 causes the lamp 27 over the patients door to be lighted This resetting of the manual reset 1n the patients and the corresponding annunciator 6 at the master station in the nurses room to be operated to display its flag 32 and light master pilot lamps 31, thus informing the nurse that patient X is calling. Because latch 91 holds contacts 33 and 35 in engagement, door lamp 27 remains illuminated and annunciator 6 and consequently pilot lamps 31 remain operated even after the patienty releases button 15.

The engagement of second contact 35 and bottom contact 90 closes the circuit through the buzzer 9 at the master station M if the buzzer disconnect switch 9 is closed. When patient X releases button 15, contacts 35 and 90 separate, and the buzzer is silenced, but the common side of talking battery 12 remains connected to patients transmitter 23 and loudspeaker 19 through wire 34, contact. 33, contact 35 and wire 36.

When the nurse hears the buzzer, she looks at the annunciators to ascertain which patient is calling, and, seeing annunciator 6 flag displayed, she manipulates key 2 to complete her talking circuit through patients loud speaker 19, wire 64, contact 60, contact 56, wire 54, transmitter 10, wire 53 and wire 52 to the talking battery 12. This also resets the annunicators 6, whose circuit is broken when the key separates contacts and 76. annunciator 6 also breaks the circuit through pilot lamps 31, but door lamp 27 remains illuminated because latch A 91 holds contacts 33 and 35 together. Tf the patient kps her finger on the button 15 or presses it insistently, the nurse may silence the buzzer by opening switch 9. After operating key 2 the nurse lifts receiver 11 from its hook, which completes the patients talking circuit through the patients transmitter 23, wire 38, contact 42, contact 46, wire 49, hook 30, contact 50, resistance 51, receiver 11, and Wire 52 to the talking battery 12.

y The nurse speaks into the transmitter 10, asking what the patient wants, and her voice issues distinctly but not loudly from the loud speaker 19 placed adjacent the patients bed in room X. The patient, without changing position or other activity, responds, and the patients request is transmitted by the microphone 23 to the nurses receiver 11. After ascertaining the. patients wishes, the nurse responds verbally if possible, and the call is completed, whereupon the nurse replaces the receiver 11 on the hook 30, breaking the talking circuit through the receiver 11l and patients transmitter 23, and manipulates key 2, .breaking the talking circuit through the loud speaker 19 and master station transmitter 10. The nurse is then required to go to the calling patient in order to perform the service requested and to reset the locking push button by moving lever 93 outwardly to disengage the pawl 92 of latch 91 from top Contact spring 33 so that the latter separates from second contact spring 35. O f course,

if key 2 is arranged to do this resetting, it is done immediately by the nurse when the conversation with the patient has been completed, so that the nurse is not required to operate lever 93 as described. It is to be noted that the nurses local manual and the nurses remote electromagnetic resetting acts do not interfere with each other.

If the patient asks for some article when the nurse responds to the patients call, a trip to ascertain the patients wishes is thus saved by the nurse, and the latter may bring the article desired immediately to the patient X,

scribed.

resetting the button 15 by operating lever 93 when she reaches the patients room, if the nurse has not already reset the button 15 magnetically from her oflice in the' manner deziem of this invention also provides aural supervision as a valuable adjunct to the usual personal supervision and permits more frequent contacts with the patient than is possible when the nurse or supervisor must make a personal trip from one patient to the other. In order to listen to each patient within a few. minutes thenurse, doctor or supervisor at the master station need only place the receiver l1 to his or her ear and, by manipulating keys l, 2, 3 and t successively, may listen to patients W, X, Y and Z, without leaving the oilice.

It will be seen that this invention provides a telephonie signalling system which is especially valuable :for hospitals, although it is not limited to this use, and one whereby much labor is saved and a more elicient service is possible.v The system may be provided with portable units so as to be readily installed and moved about, or the system may be permanently installed in a hospital while it is being built or in an existing hospital without great labor or extensive alteration. Any number of sub-stations may be provided simply by duplicating the essential units, so that one central station may be used to supervise an entire hospital floor of any number of rooms or a ward or wards containing any number of beds, or one master station in the .i hospital supervisor or superintendents olce may serve all of the patients in the hospital.

While a preferred embodiment of the 1nvention has been illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not in anyway limited thereby, but is flexible and susceptible of many alterations and changes in form and detail within its scope.

I claim:

l. In a telephone system, the combination of a master station having a transmitter and receiver, a plurality of sub-stations having transmitters and receivers, a signal device at said master station and each of said substations, a switch at said sub-stations for operating said signals, means for locking said switch in operated position, and alternative means at the master station and corresponding sub-station for releasing said locking means to restore said switch.

2. In a telephone system, the combination of a master station having telephone instruments, a plurality of sub-stations having telephone instruments, a switch at each substation for preparing av talking circuit to said master station, means at the master station for completing the talking circuit to any one of said sub-stations, a signal at the master station operable by said switch, a signal at the corresponding sub-station operable by said switch, and a signal remote from the master station and the corresponding sub-Station operable by said switch.

3. In a telephone system, the combination of a master station having telephone instruments, a plurality of sub-stations having telephone instruments,l a switch at each substation for preparing a talking circuit to said master station, means at the master station for completing the talking circuit to any one of said sub-stations, a signal at the master station operable by said switch, and a signal remote from the master station operable by said switch.

4. In a telephone system, the combination of a master station having telephone instruments, a plurality of sub-stations having telephone instruments, a. switch at each sub-station for preparinga talking circuit to said master station, means at the master station for completing the talking circuit to any one of said sub-stations, a signal at the corresponding sub-station operable by said switch, and a signal remote from the master station and corresponding sub-station oper` able by said switch.

5. In a telephone system, the combination of a master station having telephone instruments, a. plurality of sub-stations having telephone instruments, a switch at each sub-station for preparing a talking circuit to said master station, means at the master station for completing the talking circuit to any one of said sub-stations, a signal at the corresponding sub-station operable by said switch and a signal remote from the master station and said substations operable by said switch.

6. In a telephone system, the combination of a master station having telephone instruments, a plurality of sub-stations having telephone instruments, a switch at each sub-station for preparing a talking circuit to said master station, means at the master station for completing the talking circuit to any one of said sub-stations, a signal remote from the corresponding sub-station operable by said switch, and a signal remote from said master station operable by said switch.

7. In a telephone system, the combination of a master station having telephone instruments, a plurality of sub-stations having telemaster station, means at the master station for completing the talking circuit to any one of said sub-stations, and a signal remote from said master station and substation operable by said switch.

8. In a telephone system, the combination of a master station having telephone instruments, a plurality of sub-stations having telephone instruments, a switch at each sub-station for preparing a talking circuit to said master station, means at the master station for completing the talking circuit to any one of said sub-stations, a signal at the master station operable by said switch, and a signal remote from said master station and sub-stations operable by said switch.

9. In a telephone system, the combination of a master station having telephone instruments, a plurality of sub-stations having telephone instruments, a switch at each sub-station for preparing a talking circuit to said m'aster station, means at the master station' for completing the -talking circuit to -any one of said sub-stations, a signal at the corresponding sub-station operable by said switch, and a signal remote romsaid sub-station operable by said switch.

10. In a telephone system, the combination of a master station having telephone instruments, a pluralityy vof sub-stations having telephone instruments, a switch at each sub-station for preparing a talking circuit to said master station, means at the master station for completing the talking circuit to any one of said sub-stations, a signal at the master station operable by said switch, a second switch at each of the sub-stations, and a second signal of different character at the master station operable by any one of said second switches.

11. In a telephone system, the combination of a master station having telephone instruments, a plurality of sub-stations having telephone instruments, a switch at each sub-sta tion for preparing a talking circuit to said master station, means at the master station Jr'or completing the talking circuit to any one of said sub-stations, a signal at the master station operable by said switch, a second switch at each of the sub-stations, a second signal of diilerent character at the master station operable by any of said second switches, and means at the master station for disconnecting said second signal.

12. In a telephone system, the combination of a master station having telephone instruments, a plurality of sub-stations having telephone instruments, a switch at each sub-station for preparing a talking circuit to said master station, means at the master station for completing the talking circuit to any one of said sub-stations, a signal at the master station operable by said switch, a second switch at each sub-station, ,a corresponding ,signal operable thereby and means for lockat each sub-station, a corresponding signal f for locking one of operable thereby, means and said switches in signalling position, means for releasing said locking means. i 111. In a telephone system, the combination of a master station having telephone instruments, a plurality of sub-stations having telephone instruments, a switch at each sub-station for preparing a talking circuit to said master station, means at the master station for completing the talking circuit to any one 4of said sub-stations, a signal at the master station operable by said switch, a second switch at each sub-station, a corresponding signal operable thereby, means for locking one of said switches in signalling position, electromagnetic means for releasing said locking means, and a switch at said master station for operating said electromagnetic means.

15. In a telephone system, the combination of a master station having telephone instruments, a plurality of sub-stations therefor having telephone instruments, a local visual signal for each sub-station, a visual signal corresponding to each sub-station at said master station, a signal remote from said master and sub-stations, a switch at each substation for operating the corresponding local, remote and master station signals, a second signal at said master station, and a second switch at each sub-station for operating said second master station signal.

16. In a telephone system, the combination of a master station, a telephone transmitter and receiver therefor, a plurality of sub-stations, a microphone transmitter and loud speaker unit at each sub-station, a signal for calling only said master station, and a switch onlyat each of the sub-stations for' preparing a talking circuit to said master station and for operating said master station signal, and means only at the master station for selectively completing the talking circuit to any one of said sub-stations.

In testimony whereot` I affix my signature.

vWILLIAM I-I. WAITE. 

